Faulkner’s Exploration of the Human Spirit Essay -- Literary Analysis

William Faulkner accepted his Nobel Peace Prize in December 1950. During his acceptance speech, Faulkner proclaimed that the award was made not to him as a man, but to his life’s work, which was created, â€Å"out of the materials of the human spirit something which did not exist before† (PF ). He felt that the modern writer had lost connection to his spirit and that he must reconnect with the universal truths of the heart—â€Å"love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice† (PF ). Through his characters voice and exposure of their spirit, Faulkner solidified man’s immortality by â€Å"lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past† (PF ). Although some critics have characterized his work as violet, dealing with immoral themes and the miseries and brutality of life; it can be argued that even his most sad and dep raved characters express positive virtues and personal strengths. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the portrayal and manifestation of the human spirit in a select few of William Faulkner’s literary characters, showing that they possess both human strength and flaws. So what is the human spirit and why is it significant? It is a somewhat indefinable concept. According to Faulkner the human spirit is the connection to the universal truths of the heart—â€Å"love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice† (PF). But more than that, he was concerned with the idea that man had become oblivious to the problems of the spirit; that he lost his awareness of the inner struggle of heart in conflict with itself. The human spirit can also be described in terms of surviving adversity, adapting to c... ...lkner. Ed. Malcolm Cowley. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. Viking Press, 1946. Falkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. New York: Vintage Books, 1990. J. Cape & H. Smith, 1929. Gwynn, Frederick L. and Joseph L. Blotner, eds. Faulkner in the University: Class Conferences at the University of Virginia 1957-58. New York: Vintage Books, 1959. Howe, Irving. William Faulkner: A Critical Study. Chicago: Univ. Chicago Press, 1975.Orig. 1951. Vintage Books, 1962. Meriwether, James B. and Michael Millgate, eds. Lion in the Garden: Interviews with William Faulkner 1926-1962. New York: Random House, 1968. O’Donnell, George M. â€Å"Faulkner’s Mythology.† William Faulkner: Four Decades of Criticism. Linda W. Wagner, ed. East Lansing, MI: MSU Press, 1973. 83-93. Teske, John A. â€Å"The Social Construction of the Human Spirit.† http://users.etown.edu/t/teskeja/schs.html

Dostoevsky: Psychiatric Genius?

The book Crime and Punishment and its author, Fyodor Dostoevsky, both came many years before their time. In the book, Dostoevsky clearly describes the medical disorders we now know today as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and dissociative identity disorder which is also known as multiple personality disorder. The book was first published in 1866, however, schizophrenia was first described officially in 1887 by Dr.Emile Kraepelin and not given the name â€Å"schizophrenia† until Eugene Bleuler coined the term in 1911 (The History of Schizophrenia). And it was not until the late 19th and early 20th century that Pierre Janet coined the term dissociative identity (Pendergrast). Bipolar Disorder was also a relatively new disorder being that it was officially described in 1854 (â€Å"A Brief History of Bipolar Disorder†).The character of Raskolnikov is a good example of these three disorders because of the way he acts towards others or towards himself and then suddenly has a change of feelings or mindset. Schizophrenia is defined as a common type of psychosis, characterized by abnormalities in perception, content of thought, and thought processes (hallucinations and delusions) and by extensive withdrawal of interest from other people and the outside world, with excessive focusing on one's own mental life (WebMD LLC).In the beginning of the book, the narrator talks about how Raskolnikov has â€Å"become so completely absorbed in himself, and isolated from his fellows that he dreaded meeting, not only his landlady, but anyone at all† (Dostoevsky 1). This is the first sign of schizophrenia that Dostoevsky shows in Raskolnikov, it is obvious that Raskolnikov has become isolated and does not want to be around any other people. Next, Raskolnikov’s illness is almost completely caused by his hallucinations, delusions, and dreams.This is seen in part two, chapter one after Raskolnikov has committed the murders â€Å"He sat down on the sofa in exh austion and was at once shaken by another unbearable fit of shivering†¦he covered himself up with his winter coat and once more sank into drowsiness and delirium. † (92). This is also seen in chapter three after he returns to his room and has a dream about his landlady being beaten, â€Å"He was not completely unconscious, however, all the time he was ill; he was in a feverish state, sometimes delirious, sometimes half conscious. † (120).Raskolnikov continues to focus on his own mental state throughout the novel and he does not truly become well until the end of the story when he confesses, suffers, and becomes educated. Raskolnikov also has many symptoms of dissociative identity disorder, which is defined as a severe form of dissociation, a mental process, which produces a lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity. Dissociative identity disorder is thought to stem from trauma experienced by the person with the dis order (WebMD LLC).Raskolnikov’s condition has obviously stemmed from the trauma Raskolnikov experienced after having committed the murders which is a major sign of dissociative identity disorder, and there are instances where Raskolnikov will do something and immediately completely regret his decision such as when he gives money to Marmeladov and then wants to go up to the room to take his money back â€Å"Raskolnikov had time to put his hand into his pocket, to snatch up the coppers he had received in exchange for his rouble in the tavern and to lay them unnoticed on the window.Afterwards, on the stairs he changed his mind and would have gone back† (Dostoevsky 26-27). Rakolnikov also has a form of dissociation because he gets into moods when he is thinking about certain things but disregarding other important details such as closing the door at the pawnbroker’s, locking his own door the night of the murder, and checking his clothes for blood. A third disorder t hat Dostoevsky describes through the character of Raskolnikov is bipolar disorder.Bipolar disorder is a major affective disorder, or mood disorder, characterized by dramatic mood swings. Bipolar disorder is a serious condition, when mania causes sleeplessness, sometimes for days, along with hallucinations, psychosis, grandiose delusions, and/or paranoid rage (WebMD LLC). Raskolnikov has many mood swings throughout the story. One of the first examples is when he is debating whether he should go talk to his friend Razumikhin, he changes his mind several times and then decides not to see him.Raskolnikov also switches moods about his â€Å"act† that he is planning to commit which we come to know is the murder of Alonya Ivanova. He switches his decision several times and finally commits to killing her when he finds out that she will be alone at seven o’ clock, â€Å"he felt suddenly in his whole being that he had no more freedom of thought, no will, and that everything was suddenly and irrevocable decided† (Dostoevsky 65). We also know that Raskolnikov suffered from hallucinations, delusions, and paranoid rage that he used to kill Alonya.These hallucinations included the dream of the horse getting beaten, the dream that his landlady was being beaten, and the nightmare when Raskolnikov is trying to kill the pawnbroker but she does not die, she only laughs. Dostoevsky helped to pave the way for other doctors and scientists to discover all of the symptoms of these mental illnesses we now know as schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, and bipolar disorder. This shows how much Dostoevsky knew about human nature. He was able to pick out tendencies that many mentally ill people have.Not only did he describe these three, he also described alcoholism very accurately by using the character Marmeladov to show that alcoholism only leads to suffering and the more one continues to drink, the more suffering they endure, â€Å"â€Å"the more I drink, the more I feel it. That’s why I drink too. I try to find sympathy and feeling in drink†¦. I drink so that I may suffer twice as much! † And as though in despair he laid his head down on the table† (14). Dostoevsky was a very extraordinary man and he gave mankind many contributions.Psychology was an important part of Crime and Punishment, but it is also clear that Dostoevsky is a very intelligent writer and incorporates many different themes into his works. ? Works Cited â€Å"A Brief History of Bipolar Disorder. † Today’s Caregiver. 2009. http://www. caregiver. com/channels/bipolar/articles/brief_history. htm. Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. Ed. Bantam Classic Reissue. New York: Bantam Dell, 2003. â€Å"The History of Schizophrenia. † Schizophrenia. com. 2004. http://www. schizophrenia. com/history. htm .Pendergrast, Mark. Victims of Memory. Upper Access Books, 1996. â€Å"Schizophrenia. † Dictionary. com. 2009. http:// dictionary. reference. com/browse/schizophrenia. WebMD LLC. â€Å"Bipolar Disorder. † WebMD. 2009. http://www. webmd. com/depression/guide/bipolar-disorder-manic-depression. WebMD LLC. â€Å"Dissociative Identity Disorder. † WebMD. 2009. http://www. webmd. com/mental-health/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder. WebMD LLC. â€Å"Medical Dictionary: Schizophrenia. † WebMD. 2009. http://dictionary. webmd. com/terms/schizophrenia.

The Stress on Americas Equality Essay - 1176 Words

In America’s society, equality has always been a reoccurring issue. All the way from early slavery and the Holocaust to discrimination toward African Americans, females, and now same-sex marriages. As much as our world focuses on becoming equal, each culture deals with it’s own differences. In Michael Jackson’s song, â€Å"Black or White† compared with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ song, â€Å"Same Love,† they each approach the same topic encompassing equality. Songs from completely two different generations but each song is concentrating on the important issues of their time, racial discrimination and same-sex relationships. Both of the artists have the same dreams on fairness and each song is just the start of how people started to change their†¦show more content†¦Michael Jackson was a prominent role model of the 1980’s and 90’s. His songs influenced and left an impact on people in a way that no artist has every done b efore. He not only left his impact on music, but also left his impact on society. He is known as â€Å"The King Of Pop† due to many of his billboard topping songs and his talented singing voice and dance moves that no one could replicate. He started at a young age, beginning his singing career at the age of 5 years old. Here he joined his brothers and made The Jackson 5. By his teenage years he began to stand out and started his own solo career as an artist. One of Michael’s biggest problems he had to face was a horrible skin condition called Vitiligo. It is a chronic skin condition that causes loss of pigment. Irregular pale patches of skin are the outcome of this pigment loss and a lot of people refer to it as â€Å"turning from black to white.† Jackson’s doctor, Patrick Treacy, reported to the public, â€Å"It is well documented that in 1986, Michael was diagnosed with Vitiligo† (Treacy). This was the beginning of his transformation. Not only w as he transforming himself physically, but as well he was transforming the rest of the world. Jackson was now seeing the world in a whole new perspective and had to go through many hardships. During these hardships, Michael used his music to help him overcomeShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Islamophobia On The Past And Present1326 Words   |  6 PagesTwin Towers (Holman Silver, 2011, p. 483). Thus, this is a point of significant because this was the beginning of the major crisis of Islamophobia in America. People of America began to develop detestation for Muslim individuals. The presentation of the 9/11 act even three years later expressed the connotation that there was stress present in America. The sample examination express that American health was impacted. Issues like cardiovascular and endocrine problem increased (Holman Silver, 2011Read MorePolice Culture Essay943 Words   |  4 Pageschanged with the Act. 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As we shift, focusing on gender equity in the business community a quote from antiracist, educator, and author Tim WiseRead MoreRacism Is Still A Heavy Issue Of The High College Experience Across The United States1718 Words   |  7 Pagesat war, there is no reliable source of help to assist them to conquer. Throughout America racism is still a heavy issue that is becoming a part of the average college experience across the United States. In recent events, similar to ones that happened in the Civil Rights Era, students of color fear their lives and are concerned for their safety, while trying to do what they are able, to make their campuses â€Å"equality friendly†. Situations where there were public displays of racism and discriminationRead More Catharine MacKinnons Book Feminism Unmodified Essay1303 Words   |  6 PagesCatharine MacKinnons Book Feminism Unmodified Catharine MacKinnon, in her book Feminism Unmodified, takes a unique approach to the problem of gender inequality in America. She claims that pornography defines the way in which America’s patriarchal society perpetuates male dominance, and attacks traditional liberal methods that defend pornography on the basis of the first amendment’s right to free speech. According to MacKinnon, pornography is not an example of speech but rather an act. SheRead MoreThe American And Chinese Communist Revolutions1363 Words   |  6 PagesEnlightenment. This factor made both wars and their outcomes more intellectually based rather than physically. Another main accelerator that forced the people to fight for a change in their government was due to an unpopular method of rule. In both China and America, the forms of government previous to their revolutions and extreme political changes were despised among a majority of the commonplace citizens. Although, the two countries did not lik e their ruling bodies their forms of government were in fact wereRead MoreThe Discrimination of Woman in the Workplace Essay598 Words   |  3 PagesUnited States today, and is evident in the business world. Most businesses have always been dominated by men, and have simply been tradition in America that men run Corporate America and not women. Not until the late twentieth century, have women even been a part of big business. One important question that needs to be asked is, â€Å"what is equal?† Equality between sexes and race has been stressed and made law in the late nineteenth century, but even though laws have been made to protect woman fromRead MoreThe American Dream1320 Words   |  6 Pagespriority anymore. Instead, Smith concludes that the American Dream should be solely based on the collective well being. Furthering Smith’s belief in the American Dream, I believe it should also be centered around equality, collective well being, and good governance. To begin, equality as an American Dream would result in wealth being distributed equally throughout society, thus eliminating poverty and inequality. In â€Å"the high-income world...basic deprivations have been vanquished† with â€Å"enoughRead MoreCivil Rights/Secret Life of Bees986 Words   |  4 PagesBridget Baker Mrs. McQuade Period 2 4/10/12 Racial Discrimination and Segregation In 1619 the very first African Americans arrived in America, coming over for the purpose of forced slavery. It’s been nearly four hundred years since then and African Americans are still not treated completely equal. But throughout the years major steps towards equality have been made and as a whole the United States is close to reaching this goal. The first key action taken was abolishing slavery in 1865, butRead MoreThe Girl Of The Tangerine Scarf901 Words   |  4 Pagesinvalid, it would mean nothing with all that risk. Safety being that you are protected from any cause of danged, or any type of risk and or injury. Through reading our books I’ve learned a lot about foreign environments and how the united states of America are so much more safer and to never take that for granted and how that has molded the united states and how it makes an American. In â€Å"no Jose here† the book shows us that Mexico is a county where crime is easier to get away with due to corruption

Operant and Classical Conditioning Psychological Processes Free Essay Example, 1000 words

While classical conditioning involves a neutral signal placed before a reflex, operant conditioning applies punishment or reinforcement to encourage or deter a behavior. Operant conditioning involves voluntary action whose outcome is either encouraged or discouraged. On the other hand, classical conditioning entails involuntary and automatic behavior. While classical conditioning involves a neutral signal placed before a reflex, operant conditioning applies punishment or reinforcement to encourage or deter a behavior. Operant conditioning involves voluntary action whose outcome is either encouraged or discouraged. On the other hand, classical conditioning entails involuntary and automatic behavior. A good example of Classical conditioning is the claim that the beach is packed because it is sunny , where the stimulus is the weather. Cherry (n. d.) states that classical conditioning produces an unconditioned response characterized by an unconditioned stimulus. In this case, the r eason the beach is packed with many people is because of a conducive stimulus that encourages them to go to the beach. When we consider the case of a prosecutor presenting a guilty charge against the defendant, then we are looking at classical conditioning. His job acts as a stimulus and the response he elicits is prosecuting the convict. We will write a custom essay sample on Operant and Classical Conditioning Psychological Processes or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page Working with the defendants will create a different stimulus that will facilitate recovery from the guilty presumption that he was familiar with; to the notion of innocent till proven guilty. In order to check the effectiveness of the burger incentive, I would keep a record of the average number of individuals visiting the beach on non-sunny days. In classical conditioning, the neutral stimulus does not produce any response until it pairs with an unconditioned stimulus.

Animal Farm By George Orwell - 1770 Words

In George Orwell s 1945 epic novel Animal Farm, the corruption of leadership is described and emphasized through the actions of farm animals. After gaining control of the farm where they were held, a human society arose between the animals with the most intelligent, or most disingenuous, animals rising to the top of the hierarchy. Sheep, chickens, even the farm dogs all bowed down to the pigs that tricked their way to power. The infamous quote, â€Å"all animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others† (112) is the epitome of the corruption Orwell wanted to emphasize. Through the different obstacles that the barnyard animals faced, from an attempted return by the humans to a project to construct a windmill, the animals gave more and more power to the pigs leaving them at their mercy. Slowly, the animal leaders became humanized, even going to the extent of wearing clothes and playing cards at the end of the novel, â€Å"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; and it was already impossible to say which was which† (118). Orwell s use of allegory emphasizes the dangers of surrendering power to self-imposed leaders and the corruption that occurs when an overwhelming amount of power is held by an individual. When George Orwell wrote â€Å"Animal Farm†, it is said he was heavily influenced by the rise of communism throughout the world. The most powerful communist influence that Orwell experienced was from theShow MoreRelatedAnimal Farm And George Orwell By George Orwell1034 Words   |  5 Pages Eric Arthur Blair, under the pseudonym of George Orwell, composed many novels in his lifetime that were considered both politically rebellious and socially incorrect. Working on the dream since childhood, Orwell would finally gain notoriety as an author with his 1945 novel Animal Farm, which drew on personal experiences and deeply rooted fear to satirically critique Russian communism during its expansion. Noticing the impact he made, he next took to writing the novel 1984, which similarly criticizedRead MoreAnimal Farm By George Orwell1397 Words   |  6 PagesAn important quote by the influential author of Animal Farm, George Orwell, is, â€Å"Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism.† George Orwell, a Democratic Socialist, wrote the book Animal Farm as an attack on the Communist country of Russia (â€Å"The Political Ideas of George Orwell,† worldsocialism.org). He had a very strong disliking of Communism and the Socialist party of Russia. However, he insisted on finding the truthRead MoreAnimal Farm, By George Orwell1545 Words   |  7 Pagesallow because an this elite institution of people often use this gear to dominate and oppress society. In George Orwell’s story, Animal Farm, Orwell demonstrates that education is a powerful weapon and is a device that can be used to at least one’s benefit. Living in a world where strength is a straightforward to benefit, the pigs quick use education to govern the relaxation of the animals on the farm to serve themselves worked to their advantage. This story in shows the underlying message that   firstRead MoreAnimal Farm By George Orwell944 Words   |  4 Pageslegs(Orwell 132). He carried a whip in his trotter(Orwell 133). In the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell, animals have the ability to talk and form their own ethos, Animalism. Animal Farm is an intriguing allegory by George Orwell, who is also th e author of 1984, includes many enjoyable elements. More knowledge of the author, his use of allegorical elements, themes, symbols, and the significance in the real world, allows the reader to get more out of this glance into the future. George OrwellRead MoreAnimal Farm, By George Orwell876 Words   |  4 Pagesrebellious animals think no man means freedom and happiness, but they need to think again. The animals of Manor Farm rebel against the farm owner, Mr. Jones, and name it Animal Farm. The animals create Animalism, with seven commandments. As everything seems going well, two of the animals get into a rivalry, and things start changing. Food starts disappearing and commandments are changed, and the power begins to shift. Father of dystopian genre, George Orwell writes an interesting allegory, Animal FarmRead MoreAnimal Farm by George Orwell1100 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction: Widely acknowledged as a powerful allegory, the 1945 novella Animal Farm, conceived from the satirical mind of acclaimed author George Orwell, is a harrowing fable of a fictional dystopia that critiques the socialist philosophy of Stalin in terms of his leadership of the Soviet Union. Tired of their servitude to man, a group of farm animals revolt and establish their own society, only to be betrayed into worse servitude by their leaders, the pigs, whose initial virtuous intentionsRead MoreAnimal Farm By George Orwell1538 Words   |  7 PagesMecca Animal Farm The Russian Revolution in 1917 shows how a desperate society can be turned into a military superpower filled with terror and chaos. George Orwell uses his book, Animal Farm, to parallel this period of time in history. This book is an allegory of fascism and communism and the negative outcomes. The animals begin with great unity, working toward a common goal. The government then becomes corrupted by the temptations of power. George Orwell uses the characters in Animal Farm to showRead MoreAnimal Farm by George Orwell1175 Words   |  5 PagesAn enthusiastic participant in the Spanish civil war in 1936, George Orwell had a great understanding of the political world and made his strong opinions known through his enlightening literary works, many of which are still read in our modern era. Inspired by the 1917 Russian Revolution and the failed society it resulted in, Animal Farm by George Orwell is an encapsulating tale that epitomises how a free utopian society so idealistic can never be accomplished. The novella exemplifies how influencesRead MoreAnimal Farm, By George Orwell1089 Words   |  5 PagesIn George Orwell’s â€Å"Animal Farm†, the pigs as the farm leaders, use unknown language, invoke scare tactics and create specific laws, thereby enabling them to control other animals, to suit their greedy desires, and to perform actions outside their realm of power. Because of the pigs’ use of broad language, and the implementation of these tactics they are able to get away with avoiding laws, and are able to convince other animals into believing untrue stories that are beneficial to the pigs. The firstRead MoreAnimal Farm, By George Orwell1212 Words   |  5 PagesShe stood there over the dead animals thinking to herself what have we come to? We try to become free but we just enslave ourselves to a so called superior kind. Napoleon killed the animals in front of the whole farm and said that this was to be the punishment for the traitors. Snowball was known as a traitor now and anyone conspiring with him would be killed. Snowball and Napoleon both represent historical characters during the Russian revolution in 1917.Snowball who was one of the smartest pigs

Industrial Relations Free Essays

IPM Professional Qualification in Human Resource Management Management Case Study 8 Industrial Relations Batch ID PQHRM 22/07 Question 6 The problems that have arisen, findings have been considered and recommendations have been given from points 1 to 5. Question 1 ?Company could not or did not adapt to the changing market conditions. They did not change their strategies of production and did not properly analyze the market conditions. We will write a custom essay sample on Industrial Relations or any similar topic only for you Order Now ?Due to the incompetence of the management the company was taking a hit financially. But the management instead of rectifying what went wrong took the easy way out and blamed the labour for not giving their maximum output. ?There was no industrial peace and industrial peace is vital to ensure the smooth flow of work. Trade unions that have political affiliation were main reason for the ongoing industrial dispute and their dissatisfaction in the existing government did not help. In addition to this they were two trade unions that had an internal dispute among themselves. ?The â€Å"Bolts Nuts† terminated several employees in an illegal manner. Certain employees who were alleged with pilfering were terminated without a disciplinary enquiry or issuance of a show cause letter. Certain employees were terminated for picketing whereas picketing and striking is legal. ?The union and its representatives entered and agreed upon a collective agreement without properly considering the terms and conditions of the agreement. This could be attributed to the lack of negotiation skills. ?Management did not ensure that the workers had the proper tools and skills to increase or even maintain their production levels. The machinery provided for the workers to work with were outdated and not in proper working order. ?Management resorting to illegal means of terminating employees and closing down the factory even before the commissioner or labour made his/her final verdict. ?The environmental authority’s pressure to sort the matter of waste water disposal can be considered as the final blow to the company as there was no way the company could implement a waste water disposal system. Question 2 The above situations could have been averted through the management acting in a timely manner instead of waiting for the market conditions to turn bad. They could have done the following to avert the disaster that occurred: ?Conducted a market survey if the competitors products and their market conditions. The management could have done a PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors) and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). This would have made sure that the management knew where their organization stood as per the market condition and their competitors and the various factors in SWOT or PEST. ?The management should not have blamed the workers for not giving their maximum input. They should have instead introduced a small scale incentive scheme and got the workers motivated so that they worked with them in this crisis situation instead of working against them. They should have also asked for the workers feedback on the reason for this situation and their suggestions on how to improve production. ?Implement Six Sigma. Since Six Sigma focuses on improving productivity without investing in new equipment and increasing productivity through improving the way thing are done or the improving the individual processes itself it would have boosted productivity and increased quality of the products and the productivity of the organization (See next page for the Six Sigma process Diagram 1) ? Negotiations to come to a collective agreement should have been conducted with the majority trade union representative preferably the head who is a competent negotiator and the representative for the employer should have been a member of the EFC or its representation body. The Labour Department should have been involved in this negotiation session and provided conciliation. Diagram 1 ?The management should have not terminated employees in an illegal manner. They should have instead have offered a VRS or if that was not applicable they should have referred to the labour commissioner on job cuts before things they started severely taking losses. Another option that the management had is to ask the employees if they were agreeable to a pay cut. ?Although the company could not afford new machinery they could have done a major overhaul or repair all the machinery that was in use. This would not have given them a boost in production but they would not have lost production either. With regards to the environmental authority the company could have negotiated with them and come to an understanding that the waste water system will be implemented when the company was financially stable. ?Faulty recruitment and selection process. HR or Recruitment department did not find the best fit for the job. This would have been the lead cause for industrial disputes. ?The HR dept could have done a Training Need Analysis and then provided the required training for the workers if the reason for lack of production was lack of skill Question 3 Yes. Good IR in a company can be attributed to the following ? A relationship between employer and employee where collective bargaining is used extensively and joint problem solving exists in order for both parties to mutually benefit. ?Genuine employee involvement and HR practices that involve information gathering, consultation of employees and having their participation in all initiatives. ?Involvement of a third party during disputes where both parties maybe biased to their own cause. As per the above points we could draw to the conclusion that Bolts Nuts Company has poor IR. The company did not have a good rapport with its employee and evidently didn’t use the workers knowledge and suggestions to jointly solve the problems. Collective bargaining was used but not extensively and effectively. Also the fact of employee involvement in information gathering for HR practices is not evident. Employees were not consulted for their views of the situation. Involvement of the labour department was evident but again too late. If a labour department representative was present at the collective bargaining sessions the session would have led to a reasonable collective agreement that was fair. But since this did not happen the collective agreement only led to more disagreement and therefore the collective agreement was rendered redundant. Question 4 The HR manager is partially responsible for this situation as it involved the illegal termination of employees, hiring of employees who were not the best fit for the companies’ requirements and not conducting a Training Need Analysis to ascertain if the employee’s lack of production was due to a lack in Knowledge, Skills or Attitudes and providing the required training. Question 5 The only way for this crisis to be resolved is to implement all the points given in question 2. That would be to Conducted a market survey, Implement Six Sigma, Negotiate an effective collective agreement, the major overhaul of all the machinery, involve employees in the decision making process and providing training as required once a TNA is done. How to cite Industrial Relations, Papers Industrial Relations Free Essays string(172) " reserve for itself the absolute right to set up time standards, club Jobs, change production methods and systems and flexibility in the matter of deployment of workforce\." The tolerance of the Tells workers suddenly gave way. The storm broke and wealth months the workforce, the management and the entire city of Pun were engulfed by this storm. Some attributed the cause to workers’ leaders like Raja Nair, others to Tells officials like Unranked. We will write a custom essay sample on Industrial Relations or any similar topic only for you Order Now The genesis of the phenomena however lay in the history of industrial relations in Tells over nearly fifteen years. Pun was one of the first industrial centre to be established pursuant to the policy of geographic relocation of industries away from established industrial centre in the aryl sixties. During the sixties a number of large engineering companies set up new Industries In the Pun region. Being predominantly engineering industries, the region attracted a large number of skilled workers from all over Maharajah’s. This workforce was young, skilled, educated (being from technical training Institutes such as TIT and private Institutes); and there was a broad cultural homogeneity since most of them were Amaranth-speaking. Pun city, though not an industrial city to the sixties, has well established traditions of trade unionism amongst the municipal workers, the searchers and staff of other governmental bodies. Above all traditionally the workers in the engineering industry are known to be more militant and better organized. Basically this has to do with the nature of the work in the engineering industry, where man is invariably the master of the machine. Engineering Jobs require knowledge, perception, judgment, use of discretion and higher intellectual abilities, all of which results in a self-confident and assertive workforce. Added to all this Is the fact that the new workers coming to Pun had to find residential quarters on the outskirts of Pun. The suburban districts of Pun grew Into working class areas. Both better paid any badly paid workers’ settlements grew within the same locates, leading to extensive social integration of the workforce. All this gave rise to strong traditions of unity, solidarity and class sentiments in the most classical sense of the term. While the other industrial centre were plagued by trade union rivalries, political dissensions, and conflicts founded on caste, region and language Pun developed a tradition of class solidarity. In 1980, when the police fired on the rockers of Baja Auto, almost immediately the other factories closed in support, and a joint action committee was formed. Thereafter on most major events, ‘ad hoe trade union Joint action committees have cropped up. With the numerical strength of workers In Pun Increasing – today the city has 1. 75 to 2 lack industrial workers and, together with their families, they constitute 45-50 per cent of Pun’s population – these traditions were reinforced In strength and Impact. The companies that came up in Pun region too developed a broad unified approach the first place they too like the workers were concentrated in one area. Besides, very few companies were in mutual competition with one another. Many of them were keen to avoid the problems they had to confront in the older industrial centre like Bombay. One of the first things that almost every major company in the Pun region did right from the beginning was to ensure that no outsider, I. E. Professional trade unionist, established himself in Pun. These companies were established at a time when the fact of trade unionism as an inevitable aspect of industrial life had come to be accepted. In the Pun region formation of trade unions per SE never led to any ajar strife. The companies on the contrary encouraged their nascent workforce to form internal company unions. Barring a few exceptions the major pattern of trade union organization in the region is of internal unions with the workers themselves acting as office-bearers. In the mid-eighties Data Samoan from Bombay attempted a break-through but did not succeed. In a few companies unions affiliated to the Ship Seen and BGP tried to establish their unions but could not make any major headway. Against this backdrop, Tells is an Omni-present giant in the Pun region. Spread dead over a vast area, it employs, 8,500 blue collar workers, around 1,000 to 1,100 white collar workers, 2,000 supervisory staff and 2,500 engineers and officers. The average age off Tells worker is 32 years. Besides this a large number of ancillaries around Pun depend basically on Tells for their survival. It has been impossible to estimate the extent of mistranslation. Estimates vary from 400 units to 4,000 units. Besides, there is the consumption of goods and services by the company. To take one or two examples – the two industrial canteens at Tells employ 450 employees. The conservancy staff number around 450. Tells runs 110 buses on 265 routes. And all this growth has taken place over a span of 25 years. In keeping with the general pattern of industrial relations in the region, the company encouraged the formation of an internal trade union in their company. The new workforce formed the Tells Kamala Santayana (TTS), the very union with whom the company is refusing to negotiate today. The TTS was formed in February 1968 and was immediately recognized by the company. The constitution of the union provided amongst other things that the union will not have any outsider I. E. , a non-employee, as office-bearers. The elections were to be held once in every three years. It may be pointed out here that wage agreements are normally revised once in three years. It provided that workers would elect a council of 42 members and these 42 would then elect the office-bearers from amongst themselves. During this time the production in the company was growing rapidly. Normally in the older engineering industries Job classifications are precise. The content of each Job is described and evaluated, grades evolved, and quite often a worker could lawfully decline to do Job which were beyond the description or grade of his Job. Right from the beginning the company sought to avoid rigid classification of Job and to reserve for itself the absolute right to set up time standards, club Jobs, change production methods and systems and flexibility in the matter of deployment of workforce. You read "Industrial Relations" in category "Papers" This guarding its rights. Throughout, the growth in productivity was as a result of increased capacity utilization on the one hand and increase in the productivity of the workers on the other. The increase in productivity was mainly due to intensification of the workers’ work output. Thus in 1980 the company produced 14,000 vehicles. This increased to 0,000 vehicles in 1988 (though the targeted production was 33,000). In 1981, 40 chassis were produced in a day, today it is 125 chassis. Throughout, the workforce remained constant. There was no major technological upgrading. The only areas where some technical modifications were made were in fatigue-related areas, I. E. Where fatigue of the workers reached a point where he became counter-productive. In order to facilitate this the company introduced a number of schemes designed to make optimum use of the workforce. In 1976, the TTS and the company Jointly finalized a skill benefit scheme. Under this scheme a worker could upgrade his skill and give required trade tests after which he would be entitled to two increments. Thereafter a versatility benefit scheme was introduced, whereby a workman who had learnt a new trade besides his own could after passing the requisite tests get three increments. All this made it possible for the company to utilize its workforce with complete flexibility after all, the company believed a worker during his work hours was at the company’s disposal to get as much production from him as was possible.. The internal leadership of the TTS could not perceive the impact of the company’s policies. In 1976 it consented to the skill benefit scheme. The feeling spread amongst the workers that the union leadership was not standing up for their rights, while the management was asserting its rights. In the 1977 TTS elections the workers elected a new leadership which was perceived to be more militant. Under this leadership the workers conducted their first strike which went on for 22 days. This strike was against what is popularly described as ganging of machines and double designations. Ganging of machine meant that a worker who was until then required to load Jobs on one machine and attend to it was now required to load one bob on one machine and immediately attend to another machine or several machines depending on the nature of the Job before returning to the first one. Double designations meant one worker was called upon to do two Jobs. While the former method clubbed machines the latter clubbed Jobs. The state government intervened and referred the dispute for adjudication after which the strike was declared illegal. A number of activists were dismissed and other neutralized, and yet others won over. The workers attributed the failure of the strike and the crushing of the TTS leadership to the absence of strong outside leadership and support. They then turned to the Sara Ashrams Shantung, a trade union affiliated to the Ala Ionians Party. The membership of the Sara Ashrams Shantung was not widespread over all shops and departments, and was concentrated in a few plants and departments. In 1980 the workers of the foundry section began agitation. Once again this was against work norms and methods. The company declared a lock-out of the foundry which other department workers in support of the foundry workers. The foundry workers’ agitation fizzled out. The workers were compelled to give an undertaking of good conduct and report back to work. Some more activists were dismissed after this agitation. In order to defeat the Sara Ashrams Shantung, the company had to rely on the TTS leadership amongst other things. The TTS leadership, in the absence of over-whelming support of workers had to align with the management to defeat the Sara Ashrams Shantung. In the process the TTS leadership acquired privileges and concessions from the company that alienated them more and more from the workers. If workers were intimidated or strong-arm methods were used within the company premises the management looked the other way. Workers say the company actually circuited toughs to deal with the situation. Officers of the company deny this at times and at other times have Justified it saying strong-arm methods must be countered by strong-arm methods ‘sometimes’. The company also began to focus on what it describes as its welfare activities. Since 1981 there has been a sharp increase in industrial co-operatives of employees formed with the active support of the company. Between 1981 and 1987 the company has helped establish nine industrial cooperatives, for various purposes like recycling of scrap wood, conservancy, manufacturing safety shoes, printing, computer revise, felting, foundry-casting, battery cable assembly, welding, etc. Previously such societies were limited to helping widows of deceased employees, canteens and the like. Now it spilled over the industrial production. These co-operatives were intended to provide employment to the dependents and family members of the employees. The TTS leadership was the main agent for the implementation of these schemes. They therefore acquired enormous clout over the workers. Though out of a total workforce of 9,600, only 252 employees were members of the nine cooperatives formed between 1981 and 1987, and these cooperatives employed 698 rocker, the worker could always hope that by being on the right side of the TTS leadership, he could better the position of himself and his family. Besides it put enormous resources at the disposal of the TTS leadership. For the year 1987-88 alone the total turnover of these nine co-operatives was over RSI. 107 lack. The leadership of the TTS increasingly lost their identity as spokesmen of the workers. This got reflected in their style of functioning as union office-bearers. Issues were no longer represented on the basis of any clearest principles or rights, but on ad hoc basis. They were no longer resolved on the basis of the workers’ strength but the clout of their office. Sometimes issues relating to production and shop floor problems were resolved satisfactorily, but most often they were not. It was an alienated leadership providing patchwork solutions. While these trends were developing within the TTS leadership, amongst the workers other developments were taking place. After the failure of the foundry workers’ agitation, the workers began to look once again towards the internal union – the TTS. Leaders, Raja Nair and a few others who they perceived as being better. In the ginning of 1982, Raja Nair was elected general secretary of the TTS. Along with other members of the negotiating team, he too signed the 1981 settlement on wage revision. This settlement evoked widespread anger and resentment among the workers. When compared to the increase in their productivity and the profits of the company the workers felt the settlement gave them very little. The 1979 settlement had revised the wages by between RSI 150 and RSI 210. The 1982 settlement had increased them by RSI. 350 to RSI. 370. Besides, the skill benefit and versatility benefits schemes had been modified to give more leverage to the management and o say to the union in matters relating to production. A large number of workers who gathered at the company’s gate beat up the leaders and engaged in stone throwing. It is said that at this Juncture Raja Nair publicly admitted that he had signed the settlement under pressure from other committee members. He had been recruited in the company around 1979. When he became general secretary he had barely six year’s service behind him. It is difficult at this Juncture to assess what subjective factors weighed with him in this turnabout. But from the point of view of understanding the Tells agitation this is hardly important. What is important is before the workers it refurnished his image as an honest leader. The workers at this stage needed a hero in whom they could concentrate their aspirations. The steps that the company took thereafter only reinforced that need and catapulted one individual into the position off hero. After the disturbances at the company’s gate in September 1982, the company declared suspension of operations for over a week and demanded good conduct bonds from the workers. The workers gave this bond and returned to work. A few weeks after this the company suspended Raja Nair and after holding an enquiry smiled him from service in the beginning of 1983. To the company this was sure way to tackle rebellion. It had yielded results in the past, more particularly in 1977 and 1980 and there was no reason why it should not succeed this time. What the company did not take into account is the fact that the workers too were learning something from their experiences and were growing more mature in their understanding of the company. Coincidentally it was during this time that Raja Nair himself was arrested in a murder charge. He was under trial for six months or so after which he was discharged for want of evidence. This factor added to his image as a leader capable of taking on the Tells management amongst the workers. The rebel group within the TTS now rallied under the banner of the Raja Nair Panel (RAN) and began working as a group. In December 1984 once again the TTS elections were held. In these elections RAN put up a panel of 20 candidates of whom 17 won the elections. In a committee of 42 members they were still a minority and from this point of time the RAN worked as a faction within the TTS. The RAN did not focus much on the wage revision agreement of 1985. They concentrated instead on building up grassroots organization. In order to do this, they first of all changed their style of functioning. Until now by virtue of their working hours. The leaders were not required to work on the shop floor. They were given secretarial assistance by the company for their union work. The RAN decided they would not avail any of these privileges. They began to work on the shop floor. As a result, they were able to build up a rapport with the workers and tackle day-to-day shop floor problems directly. Workers too began to approach them for resolving day-to-day problems. Throughout the period between 1983 and 1987 the RAN focused on building grassroots support and organization. All this time Raja Nair was closely associated with the work of the activists of around 2,000 workers and staunch sympathizers of around 4,000 workers. Together with the fence-sitters the RAN had the overwhelming support of the Tells workers. In December 1987 when the TTS elections took place, the RAN put up a panel for all the seats. The RAN won 34 out of 42 seats. More significant was the fact that all the old leadership of the TTS lost badly in the elections. The language this new committee spoke was different. It actively took up issues on the shop floor. It questioned the supervisors on the methods of work distribution and allotment, on transfers and quantum of work and other issues. It must be mentioned here that the manner in which the productivity of the workers had been raised, as described above, required extensive supervision. The ratio of supervisors to workers is high in the company, roughly around 1:10. The supervisory staff rang the alarm and the management pushed the panic buttons. As a result a chain of events followed leading to the present impasse. At this stage it may be possible to argue that had the management shown greater statesmanship, balanced Judgment ND perceptiveness what followed need not have happened. But today this question will only be academic. In May 1988 the company suspended and later dismissed the vice president of the TTS. A group of workers went on a one-day hunger strike. The rest of the workers boycotted tea, snacks and lunch in the company’s canteen as a mark of solidarity with the hunger strikers. In July 1988 the TTS held a general body meeting and decided to amend their constitution to allow admission to honorary members who were not Tells employees. Since there is a provision in the Trade Union Act which allows admission of honorary members, and there is nothing unusual or illegal about the amendment, the registrar of trade unions, Pun, allowed the amendments and registered the same. Raja Nair was then admitted as honorary member and elected working president. The wage agreement had in the meantime expired and the TTS now terminated the old agreement and submitted a fresh charter of demands. The management refused to speak to the negotiating committee on the ground that they would not deal with outsiders. Later the reasons for not talking to the committee kept changing giving rise to doubts among workers and the outside world of management’s bona fide. At this stage the government on its own motion referred the issue of wage revision for adjudication. As yet there was nothing to indicate that anything extra-ordinary company took the stand that the matters had been referred for adjudication to a tribunal by the government and so they would not negotiate with the new committee as the matter was subsidize. The workers were obviously not in agreement. Before Dalai of 1988 came the bonus issue. A large number of workers refused to accept bonus. The company declared 8. 33 per cent plus a production bonus of RSI. 1,207. 987-88 had been an excellent year for the company financially. Between 1985-86 when the last settlement was signed and 1987-88 when the next wage revision became due, turnover had gone up 37 per cent, net profits by 66 per cent from RSI. 16. 17 core to RSI. 26. 95 core and value added by 43 per cent. The workers could not therefore understand why only 8. 33 per cent was paid by way of statutory bonus. A large number of workers (around 1,100) who had been lured into accepting the bonus returned the same. All these years the company had deducted the TTS subscription from the workers’ wages and paid it to the TTS. This year the company refused to deduct the subscription. The TTS had to therefore organize a membership collection drive. It opened accounts in banks around the residential areas and called the workers to deposit the subscription amounts in those accounts. Workers began lining up in banks. By January 31, 3,811 members had paid subscriptions, by the end of February another 1,810 had paid and by the end of March a further 1,722. By now the company began suspending active supporters of the new committee. It Justified its action by saying that it would not tolerate indiscipline. Amongst the workers this argument had no takers because workers knew the company had allowed and tolerated far more indiscipline from the older committee. In the midst of all this the workers resorted too tool down strike in the beginning of January 1989. This agitation was peaceful and organized. On January 30, Rattan Data was to have visited the factory at Pun. On January 29 Raja Nair was suddenly detained by the police preventively under Section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code. This action triggered a wave of anger. Though he had been detained on the January 29 the news spread to the factory on the 30th. The following day, when he was produced in court, rockers collected in the court premises spontaneously. The numbers began to swell. After arguments for his release, the Judgment was reserved for the next day and the police tried to whisk him away. But workers, whose number was swelling all the time, refused to let the Jeep go and resolved to sit in the court premises until the release of Raja Nair. The police then applied to the court and Raja Nair was released. In the meantime certain events happened outside the trade union scene in Tells which was to have a great impact on the Tells workers’ struggle. In January 1989, the Trade Union Council was formed. In the past Joint action committees had been formed by the trade unions in Pun on the basis of events or issues. For sometime the idea that the Trade Union Council be constituted as permanent body had been suggested by a number of unions, but unions were also cautious since in the past joint councils tended to fizzle out after an agitation or campaign. For six to eight committee had fizzled out. In the meantime Baja] auto workers in Arranged were having their agitation and workers in Pun through a Joint action committee collected funds for the Arranged workers. During this time it was decided to form the trade onion council. The formation was announced on January 19, 1989 at a public meeting of over 20,000 workers and 31 organizations. The general mood of the Pun workers therefore was responsive to the Tells workers. Soon after the arrest and release of Raja Nair, the Tells Employees Union (TIES) was formed in February 1989. The company was all along saying they could not negotiate with the TTS because the matters were pending in court. Now TEE came out with a hand bill that the company was willing to negotiate with them. The members of the old committee who had lost in the TTS election were office-bearers of the TIES. The TEE then challenged the status of the TTS in the courts. Five office-bearers of the TTS went on a hunger strike outside the company and the workers boycotted canteen food in solidarity. On the intervention of Madman Banana, the ‘guardian minister’ for Pun in the Maharajah’s council of ministers, the hunger strike was withdrawn and assurances were made that their problems would be looked into by the government. The workers were under tremendous pressure to Join the TEE between middle of February and March but the membership of the TEE could not go beyond a few hundred. The company now started saying since the validity of the TTS elections was before the courts they would not talk to TTS unless the issue was decided. Within the company the atmosphere was tense and there was widespread feeling that the company would lock-out the factory. The leaders foots had prepared the workers and decided that nothing should be done in the company which may precipitate a lock-out even under gravest provocation. At this point on March 14, 1989, one of the office-bearers of the TTS was assaulted badly within the company premises by TEE members. Since the TTS had given strict instruction not to do anything that would precipitate a lock-out, the workers remained under control, but the anger had cached flash-point. The following day TEE members who were on their way to work were accosted and beaten up in various parts of the city. Now the company suspended around 70 – 75 persons of the TTS for engaging in violence. The company now began to say they would not talk to TTS because they had engaged in violence. However when things became too obvious the company suspended and charge-sheeted one of the office-bearers but continued to recognize the TIES. In the meantime the chief minister’s statement in the Vida Saba that the Tells must talk to the TTS and government would mediate raised the hopes of the workers. The TTS in the meantime began to step up its organizational work and began holding meetings in the residential localities of workers. These meetings though intended for Tells workers were attended by other workers in the locality. The Tells agitation was spreading to those factories too. It appears that at this point other managements in the region began to get anxious about the developments in Tells and began to press for a resolution of the dispute there. On August 18 was the annual general meeting was seen as the architect of the industrial relation policy in Tells, was not given further extension after retirement. The company temporarily clubbed the responsibility of personnel with production by handing charge of industrial relations to the works deputy director (auto division). All this also raised the hopes of the workers and gave a feeling that the changes reflected a reappraisal by the company. As a matter of fact tripartite meetings were fixed between TTS, the company and the government. Though nothing substantial came of it further meetings were fixed. Then suddenly the company signed a wage agreement within the TEE on September 19. By the wage agreement the company sought to give a rise of RSI. 85 on an average. Perhaps it was felt this would lure the workers into the fold of TEE. The company then sought to apply to the industrial tribunal to pass an award in terms of the agreement so that it binding on all the workers. The workers had reached a point of desperation. On September 20 the TTS organized a huge rally of Tells workers, where on the spot the workers decided to fast indefinitely. Around 6,000 workers are estimated to have gone on a indefinite hunger strike. This was in the middle of the city, and generated a massive wave of public sympathy. For the first time perhaps a racketing agency conducted an opinion poll on a workers’ agitation. The opinion poll conducted by the Marketing and Econometric Consultancy Service revealed that 86 per cent of the respondents, all Pun citizens, were aware of the Tells issue, 82 per cent said they believed TTS was the majority union, 68 per cent felt workers were peaceful in their methods of agitation, 69 per cent felt the union was Justified in its agitation and 67 per cent felt the struggle of the Tells workers was for democratic rights. The Trade Union Council called for a one-day sympathy strike by Pun workers which was a complete success. Further tripartite negotiations had been fixed for October 1 . On September 29, the trade Union Council gave a call for demonstrations and street meetings in as many parts of the city as possible by the workers of other companies to draw attention on the Tells issue. The police used this as a pretext and swooped down on the hunger strikers and arrested over 4,000 Tells workers. Of these 2,000 were taken in buses and left off on the outskirts of the city, and 2,000 or so were taken into custody at places like Rating and Nashua. The TTS had been in quandary about how to call of the mass hunger strike without appearing to be back racking or weakening. The police action solved that problem. The company had not been too keen on the tripartite meeting and that problem too was resolved as no meeting could take place after the arrests. This triggered off a new wave of anger which spread throughout the city. The Trade Union Council called for an indefinite industrial strike of Pun workers. But the sight of Tells workers who had been on hunger strike for 10 days being beaten, pushed into buses and carried away evoked stone throwing and numerous incidents all over Source : Economic Political Weekly, How to cite Industrial Relations, Papers

Life Skills free essay sample

This will help the learners to become responsible citizens who will use their values to guide their attitudes and behaviour. Objectives After completing this section, you should be able to: 1. define values 2. demonstrate an acknowledgement and acceptance of the realities of diversity(ethicity,culture, sexual-orientation, spirituality/religion) 3. identify and prioritize ones own values 4. develop an understanding of how values influence decision making and behaviour 5. recognize the need to live together in atmosphere of peace and contributing to sustainable development| What are values? Values have many meanings: * Values are your personal measure of worth shaped by your beliefs, ideas and principles that are important to you. They shape your priorities and guide you in deciding what is right and wrong * Values reflect our attitudes and what we believe about everything. * Peoples values differ and people and we should all learn to tolerate each others values. Examples: * A person who values family will care about his/her partner, children and home life. We will write a custom essay sample on Life Skills or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page * love for my family is a value I am willing to work hard for and maybe even sacrifice to achieve it. That value reflects the fact that I believe love for family is more important than anything else in my life. This should be reflected in my decisions and actions. If not it is not what the person values. * A person who values being healthy will exercise, eat the right foods,live positively and avoid alcohol and tobacco. Classification of Values Values can be grouped into the following groups: 1. Instrumental values 2. Moral values 3. Intrinsic values 4. Aesthetic values Instrumental values  are those dealing with the means of achieving economic gain, like  money  and  status. Prioritizing Your Values Now that you have identified your core values, you understand what is important to you. You can use then refer to your values list whenever you have to make a difficult or important decision. Read some of the questions from the list below. * Should I smoke Marijuana or drink alcohol because my friends are drinking and smoking? * Is it OK to have sex with a few close partners? * What if I decided to have a sexual relationship should I protect myself from HIV AIDS and other STDs? * Is it cool to say no to sex? Is sex OK if you are getting something for it: money, cell phone, or clothes? * Is happiness and health important? These are difficult questions with no straightforward answers. When faced with such decisions, you need to refer to your list of values, prioritize them and then make a decision. The prioritization of values  allows you to make decisions which would lead to fulfillment of goals without sacrificing your core values. Remember that although this decision may be the correct one for you at this point in life, you might decide differently when faced with the same situation later in life. } Activity Number 2Examine the list you of values you selected in Activity 1 and arrange them in order of importance. | Values for a Sustainable Future In a world of limited resources, conflicting values, and competing individuals and groups, we all need to learn to live together in an atmosphere of peace, respecting ourselves and others and contributing to sustainable development. Values also very much depend on the religion. The values and athics of the religion can help human beings learn to co-operate with each other and the rest of nature for the mutual well-be ing of all.